After nearly a decade of dominating television through his prolific work on Yellowstone and its spinoffs, writer Taylor Sheridan is returning to the film franchise that first made him a household name. As reported by Variety, Sheridan is now writing the script for a third Sicario movie, confirming earlier reports that the threequel had begun moving into production.
The announcement marks a significant homecoming for Sheridan, who crafted some of the most acclaimed crime thrillers of the 2010s with back-to-back successes in Sicario, Hell or High Water, and Wind River. While his television empire has consumed much of his creative energy since then, this new project signals a deliberate return to the cinematic storytelling that established his reputation.
A Grim Origin Story
The original Sicario, directed by Denis Villeneuve in 2015, stood as a nerve-wracking and grim exploration of America’s morally compromised war on drugs along the U.S.-Mexico border. The film starred Emily Blunt as Kate Macer, a principled FBI agent enlisted by the U.S. government to help capture a Mexican drug cartel leader.
Macer works alongside CIA agent Matt Graver, played by Josh Brolin, and Alejandro Gillick, a former Mexican prosecutor turned assassin portrayed by Benicio del Toro. Both men operate on the edges of the law, withholding crucial information from Macer and generating a constant sense of tension as violence threatens to erupt across multiple clandestine operations. The film’s atmospheric dread was amplified by Roger Deakins’ Academy Award-nominated cinematography.
The Sequel That Fell Short
Sheridan wrote Sicario: Day of the Soldado, released in 2018 and directed by Stefano Sollima. Brolin and del Toro reprised their roles for the sequel, which proved less well-received both commercially and critically than its predecessor. Many critics noted that Villeneuve’s distinctive sensibilities were sorely missed in the follow-up.
The third installment, commonly referred to as Sicario: Capos, has been in development in some form since 2018. Brolin confirmed he will return for the new entry and recently told ScreenRant that production is expected to start soon, though no official release date or studio has been announced.
Sheridan’s return to Sicario represents a homecoming to the cinematic storytelling that established his reputation as one of television’s most influential writers.
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Casting and Directing Uncertainties
At this stage, it remains unclear who will join Brolin in Sicario 3. Del Toro’s character survived the events of Day of the Soldado, leaving open the possibility that he could return to reprise Alejandro Gillick. The question of direction also lingers, as Villeneuve is currently occupied with wrapping up Dune Part Three, which arrives in December, and has been attached to direct the next James Bond film.
Sheridan himself carries a heavy workload at present. He is simultaneously writing the script for the highly anticipated Call of Duty movie, an adaptation of Activision’s military shooter franchise that attaches Peter Berg as director. The long-awaited project is slated for release on June 30, 2028.
Looking Ahead
The confirmation that Sheridan is actively writing the third Sicario script provides fresh momentum to a project that has lingered in development limbo for years. With Brolin confirmed and production reportedly imminent, fans of the franchise are hopeful that the new entry can recapture the tension and moral complexity that defined Villeneuve’s original film.
As Sheridan balances his commitments to Yellowstone, Call of Duty, and now Sicario 3, all eyes will remain on who ultimately takes the director’s chair. Until then, the war on drugs along the border awaits its next chapter.
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